Question

Critically examine Piaget’s view on Moral development.

Answer 1

Jean Piaget, a famous child psychologist, explained how children understand right and wrong as they grow. He said that children’s moral thinking changes in stages as they become older and smarter. According to him, there are two main stages of moral development.

The first stage is called Heteronomous Morality, usually seen in children between 5 to 10 years. In this stage, children believe that rules are made by elders and cannot be changed. They believe that breaking rules always leads to punishment, regardless of the reason. They judge actions by their results, not the intentions. For example, a child may think breaking 10 cups by mistake is worse than breaking 1 cup on purpose.

The second stage is called Autonomous Morality, which starts around 10 years and above. In this stage, children understand that rules are made by people and can be changed with agreement. They start thinking about the intention behind an action. For example, they understand that someone who broke a cup by mistake while helping is not really bad.

In short, Piaget showed that moral understanding grows with age and thinking ability. He also said that talking and playing with friends helps children understand fairness and cooperation. Although some people think he underestimated young children’s thinking, his ideas are still very important in understanding how children learn right and wrong.